Cellular Respiration

A turtle breathes extremely slowly and lives far longer than a dog, which breathes quickly. Ayurveda takes that simple observation seriously, and builds on it a view of how the pace of your breath shapes the pace of your ageing.

Cellular respiration is the way cells breathe and produce energy. Ayurveda describes two modes: aerobic, which runs on oxygen, and anaerobic, which our sources describe as carbon-dioxide-based. Each is tied to one of the subtle forces of Vata: aerobic breathing to Prana Vayu, the inward-moving vital force, and anaerobic breathing to Apana Vayu, the downward-moving force.

The idea matters because of what each mode does. Aerobic breathing speeds oxidation and ageing, while anaerobic breathing enhances the lifespan of a cell. That is the reasoning behind Ayurveda's emphasis on slow, deliberate breathing.

Two Modes, Two Forces

Aerobic breathing requires oxygen to maintain metabolism, combustion and oxidation, and it relates to Prana Vayu. Anaerobic breathing takes place in the skeleto-muscular system, uses carbon dioxide rather than oxygen, and relates to Apana Vayu.

Speed Sets the Pace of Life

The rate of respiration is the rate at which Prana and Apana move at the cellular level. Faster breathing means a quicker metabolism and a quicker rate of oxidation and combustion.

Slower Breath, Longer Life

Slowing the breath slows oxidation and metabolism. In this view it extends the span of life by slowing cellular death and destruction, which is why the slow-breathing turtle outlives the fast-breathing dog.

The Cost and Benefit of Oxygen

Aerobic breathing burns free radicals, yet it also speeds oxidation and ageing. Anaerobic breathing produces lactic acid during the absorption of glucose and enhances the lifespan of a cell. Health depends on the balance between them.

The most direct practical use of this concept is pranayama, the yogic practice of breath regulation. If the rate of breathing sets the rate of cellular wear, then learning to slow your breath is a way to slow that wear.

A normal healthy respiration rate is about 15 breaths per minute. In smokers it rises to about 25. Counting your own breaths for a minute at rest is a simple way to see where you stand.

Yogis practising pranayama can hold prana in the belly for a full minute, which allows the inhaled oxygen to be more fully used. This is advanced practice, built up gradually over time, not something to force.

The same principle shows up in meditation. In a deep meditative state breathing naturally becomes very quiet, and in that state of blissful awareness the body's cells perform anaerobic breathing. For you, that means a few minutes of quiet, slow breathing each day is a practical expression of this idea.

• Prana Vayu: the vital force linked to aerobic breathing, oxygen use and the speed of oxidation.
• Apana Vayu: the force linked to anaerobic breathing, which our sources say enhances the lifespan of a cell.
• Prana: the life force whose movement, together with Apana, sets the rate of respiration at the cellular level.
• Pranayama: breath regulation, the practice through which slowing the breath becomes a daily habit.
• Meditation: a state in which breathing naturally becomes very quiet and cells shift toward anaerobic breathing.
• Vata: the dosha of air and movement, to which both Prana Vayu and Apana Vayu belong.

Anaerobic cellular breathing takes place in the skeleto-muscular system using carbon dioxide rather than oxygen. Lactic acid is produced by this activity during glycogenesis, the absorption of glucose. Anaerobic breathing relates to apana vayu and enhances the lifespan of a cell. Aerobic breathing, by contrast, requires oxygen to maintain metabolism, combustion, and oxidation, and it burns free radicals. Aerobic breathing relates to prana vayu and speeds oxidation and aging.

The rate of respiration is the rate at which prana and apana move at the cellular level. Faster breathing means quicker metabolism and a quicker rate of oxidation and combustion. Slowing the breath slows oxidation, slows metabolism, and extends the span of life by slowing cellular death and destruction. A turtle, with extremely slow breathing, lives far longer than a dog, which breathes quickly.

This is why pranayama is so important. In a transcendental state of meditation, breathing naturally becomes very quiet, and in this state of blissful awareness the body's cells perform anaerobic breathing. A normal healthy respiration rate is about 15 breaths per minute; in smokers it rises to about 25. Yogis practicing pranayama can easily hold prana in the belly for a full minute, allowing inhaled oxygen to be more fully utilized.